Practical demonstrations for secondary science

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Despite being criticised for their supposedly passive approach to developing scientific knowledge, teacher demonstrations are an ideal starting point for introducing new topics and tricky concepts in all three sciences. Not only do they tap into your students’ natural curiosity, but they also give you a chance to show off your passion for the subject.

Here, we’ve brought together a selection of top practicals to help you to bring science to life in your classroom.

General demonstration ideas

Get started by taking a look at this short video, which details top tips on how to make your classroom demonstrations as engaging as possible. On a similar theme, these inspiring lesson plans include a teacher-led practical to capture students’ attention, as well as advice on showmanship.

Covering biology, chemistry and physics, these comprehensive booklets* contain 100 memorable experiments to support the teaching of a wide range of topics from cell division to combustion.

Interactive demonstration tools

Demonstrations do not have to be confined to the classroom. If your department is short on resources, other forms of media can work just as well. This collection of videos covers a wide range of teaching points across the chemistry curricula, while this revealing biology-focused programme offers a range of experiments relating to the human body.

Alternatively, investigate Newton’s second law of motion – and the associated calculations – with this rocket simulation software*, including a student handout and answer sheet.